ATK sign Dheeraj Singh on bumper contract

Two-time Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) champions, ATK have confirmed the arrival of former Kerala Blasters goalkeeper, Dheeraj Singh. The move was announced on Saturday and sees the 19-year-old put pen-to-paper on a massive five-year deal, which invariably keeps him at the club until 2024.

Dheeraj first caught everyone’s attention at the U-17 FIFA World Cup held in India two years ago. He was the first-choice goalkeeper there and was one of the many positive takeaways for the nation from the mega event. Despite not keeping a single clean sheet, Dheeraj demonstrated decent skills and understanding of his role, pulling off marvellous saves throughout the campaign.

AIFF-owned Indian Arrows then saw an opportunity and quickly pounced to make Dheeraj one of their own following the World Cup. He made his debut against Chennai City FC in the Hero I-League on 29th August, 2017, keeping a clean sheet in the process. Five more appearances followed that season as Dheeraj established himself as one of the best young goalkeepers in the country.

Before making the move to the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) and the Blasters last year, the youngster had a trial with Scottish outfit, Motherwell FC. He also briefly trained with Premier League club, Bournemouth FC during that time.

On a personal front, the youngster had a successful debut Hero ISL campaign. He played 13 matches and kept four clean sheets, all the while pulling off countless saves to spare the defence’s blushes. Additionally, Dheeraj was more than 60% accurate with his passes and saves throughout the season.